Let’s be honest, I think you’re a total wanker, even since the times of the old forum there’s always been something about you that rubs me up the wrong way. These days I generally I try to avoid interacting with you as to avoid petty arguing, so just don’t reply to me if you can help it.

You’ll be doing everyone else on here a favour not just me, because nobody wants to read our interactions.

Van Persie was a cunt and went to Man U but he kept it professional and fucking gave it everything whilst the season was still going, never letting his dissatisfaction become clear on the pitch. That’s what I expect if you’re a top player who wants to leave the club, keep it professional and do your fucking job until the season is over.

The following calendar year started in the same fashion for van Persie, but Arsenal began to falter, losing three consecutive matches against Fulham, Manchester United and Swansea City, even though the Dutchman scored in the latter two. On 29 January, he rescued his team, scoring two penalties against Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup to help Arsenal to a 3–2 win after falling 2–0 down in a Man of the Match performance. It was also his 120th goal in an Arsenal shirt, equalling fellow Dutch legend Dennis Bergkamp’s total. On 4 February, he overtook Bergkamp as the 10th highest scorer in Arsenal’s history,[60] scoring another hat-trick as Arsenal beat Blackburn 7–1 at home, with three close-range goals from crosses by Theo Walcott and Francis Coquelin. He was also credited with two assists in the game as he set up Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s first Premier League goal and unselfishly passed to Thierry Henry enabling him to score his first Premier League goal since returning on loan.[61]

With Arsenal in unpredictable form, van Persie was again of supreme importance for Arsenal, this time in the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, played on 26 February. Arsenal went 2–0 down at half in the first half, but van Persie equalised before half-time. In the second half, he gave the assist to Walcott’s goal as Arsenal performed a remarkable comeback to win the game 5–2.[62] A week later, van Persie scored both goals in a 2–1 away win at Liverpool, one being a left-footed volley assisted by Alex Song, similar to the goal he scored against Everton earlier in the campaign. On 11 April 2012, after scoring the penalty against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 3–0 away win, he became only the second player to score against 17 different Premier League opponents in a single campaign. He finished as the top goal-scorer in the Premier League with 30 goals,[63] and became Arsenal’s 8th all-time top scorer with 132 goals.[64][65]

But I accept that those two paragraphs might not represent events that well.

I’d be genuinely interested if you know of a site that gives a detailed breakdown of a player’s whole season so I could get a more informed picture of exactly how his 37 goals were distributed across the 48 games he played. Without even getting into assists he might have provided.

I’d be genuinely interested if you know of a site that gives a detailed breakdown of a player’s whole season so I could get a more informed picture of exactly how his 37 goals were distributed across the 48 games he played. Without even getting into assists he might have provided.

Edit: @arsenescoatmaker so I’m not exactly sure when the half way point of that season is, but by my calculations he scored 17 goals for us in the second half of the season, so only three goals fewer than in the first half of the season.

If there is a tiny chance that he will re-new his contract than it is by winning those games and have him play a key role by doing so. Good for the team, good for Alexis, may his goal scoring run continue.

@GoonerBill1954, please don’t take this as me targeting you but I just have to respond to some of your posts.

GoonerBill1954:

so we shouldn’t be upset if he goes - as long as we bring in some top quality

I totally agree with this, but you should know that the “as long as” part isn’t guaranteed. You know that we don’t buy/attract players of Alexis’ ilk very often. So, there is a big chance we won’t get someone of that quality, let alone better.

GoonerBill1954:

I said, he isn’t in that class so we shouldn’t be scared to move him on for the right money

as long as we then go and recruit a similar, or hopefully even better, player with the money raised

The thing is, there aren’t that many in that class and the few that are there, aren’t exactly desperate to join us, none that I have heard of at least. Also, the “as long as” part, I wish it were as obvious as that when it comes to Arsene. Would you be surprised if we did not replace him or Ozil just because no one out there met Arsene’s evaluation?

GoonerBill1954:

We would not be trying to replace a Ronaldo, Messi, Suarez, Bale, Neymar type player

Agreed but in this team, he is the best player so in a way, he is our Ronaldo, Messi etc.

GoonerBill1954:

he isn’t a ‘keep at all costs’ player

In the current financial position we should be able to replace him, or even improve on him,
were he to be sold for massive money.

Again, you sound like there are many players of equal or better quality that are willing to join us, and again, Arsene has to be willing to buy them, for the asking price, and you know how often that happens.

GoonerBill1954:

I keep hearing lots of moaning that he might leave. So what? Players move around, there’s nothing to fear

This I agree with. If he wants to leave, so be it. No point trying to keep him when he doesn’t want to be here. I have said it in the past, I don’t really mind if Alexis and Ozil leave. We would love them to stay but if they don’t, so be it. We will move on. But I am certainly under no illusion that we will replace them with equal or better quality players. In fact, I am prepared for some unknown youngster being their replacement.

Am I reading too much into it or did he start tapping the crest on his shirt in front of the fans and then he thought, “hey, I’m off in the summer, a bit hypocritical to do that right now” and stopped.